Control system with displaceable knob

Abstract

Control system intended for the choice and the selection of functions in a vehicle, the system comprising a case, a lever extending along a main axis from a first end, mounted pivoting about a pivot axis to a second end provided with an actuation knob, the lever being able to turn about the main axis, and an elastic return device of the lever into a neutral position comprising an action surface in the form of a truncated cone of revolution, the axis of which is the main axis and, on a pivoting of the lever, the active zone is displaced along a generatrix of the cone moving towards the vertex, the elastic means being more biased than in a neutral position.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A control system intended for the choice and selection of functions in a vehicle, the system comprising:
 a case; 
 a lever configured to extend along a main axis from a first end to a second end, said first end located inside the case, and mounted to pivot about a pivot axis, said second end located outside the case and provided with an actuation knob, the lever also being able to turn about the main axis; 
 an elastic return device configured to cooperate with the lever so that, following a pivoting and releasing of the lever, the lever returns to a neutral position where the main axis coincides with a neutral axis, wherein said elastic return device comprises 
 an elastic means that includes an active zone configured to cooperate with an action surface attached to the lever, wherein 
 the action surface comprises a surface in the form of a truncated cone of revolution aligned with the main axis, the cone being so that in response to pivoting of the lever, the active zone is displaced along a generatrix of the cone towards a vertex of the cone, the elastic means being more biased than in the neutral position; and 
 a device limiting in the neutral position the possibility of rotation of the lever about the main axis, this then coinciding with the neutral axis, wherein said device includes a first toothed surface attached to the lever and a second toothed surface attached to the case, the toothed surfaces being distant one from the other in the neutral position, the lever then being able to turn about the neutral axis, and the toothed surfaces engaging with each other on a pivoting of the lever, the pivoted lever not being able to turn about the main axis. 
 
     
     
       2. The control system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the action surface extends perpendicularly to the lever in a flat central disc at the periphery of which is formed the truncated cone of revolution so that, on a pivoting of the lever the active zone is displaced up to the flat central disc where it is located when the lever is entirely pivoted. 
     
     
       3. The control system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the lever is configured to pivot about two perpendicular axes situated in a plane perpendicular to the neutral axis, and the system includes a plurality of return devices distributed about the neutral axis. 
     
     
       4. The control system as described in  claim 1 , wherein each return device comprises an actuator interposed between the elastic means and the action surface, and the actuator communicates movements of the action surface to the elastic means. 
     
     
       5. The control system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the lever is further configured to translate along the neutral axis. 
     
     
       6. The control system as described in  claim 5  comprising in addition
 an electrical switch attached to the bottom of the case and surmounted by another elastic means on which is placed a contactor able to slide along the neutral axis and a first face of which is attached to the said other elastic means and a second face of which, opposite to the first face, has a concave shape in which the first end of the lever is mounted pivoting, so that 
 a pressure on the knob causes a translation along the neutral axis of the lever and of the contactor and a biasing of the said other elastic means and an electrical switching of the switch, 
 the biasing of the said other elastic means generating a return force tending to oppose the translation. 
 
     
     
       7. The control system as described in  claim 1  comprising in addition
 a transmission joint having a tubular base able to turn about the neutral axis and a head provided with an axial orifice, the head being pivoting relatively to the base, the contactor being situated in the tubular base and the lever passing through the joint from one side to the other, the axial orifice having a cross-section complementary to that of the lever so that the head is attached to the lever in rotation and in pivoting, while in translation the lever is free to slide through the head and through the base, 
 a device for indexing the rotation of the lever about the neutral axis being linked to the base, the device comprising a notched surface being displaced relatively to an index on rotation of the lever, 
 the action surface of the elastic return device forming part of the head of the joint. 
 
     
     
       8. The control system as described in  claim 1 , wherein the lever extends out of the case through an opening in the shape of a cross so that pivotings of the lever are limited by the branches of the cross. 
     
     
       9. The control system as described in  claim 1 , wherein
 in the neutral position the faces of the case and of the knob facing each other are distant one from the other so that the knob can be depressed in the direction of the case, and 
 in the pivoted position of the lever, the faces of the case and of the knob facing one another are in contact one with the other so that the knob cannot be depressed in the direction of the case.